The Fourth in the Crowd
by AC75
Summary: Two is a company, three's a crowd. Four is too much and five's not allowed. With a jackass shoved into the fray, he works with the crowd, To guide those astray and to keep the three proud. He'll learn something new and reminisce the old, and he'll get his ass chewed for being too bold. To go down this road is one hell of a ride, but there's something valuable he can find.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Had a bit of fun with that summary.

* * *

Chapter 1: Stahp it… Stahp it. STAHP IT

"Yukinoshita Yukino-san?" He asked, directing his question at the intercom. Despite having bandages over my eyes, I could see enough to come up with an adjective to describe this place.

 _Fuck_.

I meant "fancy".

 _"Yes, speaking,"_ a voice replied. No doubt a female; the name says it all. I'd be going nuts if I found out it was a dude.

 _"Who may this be?"_ She asked. Her tone and manner of speaking screamed sophisticated and formal. It was almost strange to hear someone talk like that. The only people I can think of who speak like that are businessmen, government officials, and a few others.

"You called for our services just a while ago, Yukinoshita-san," my coworker replied. "You said you had a problem with the faucet?" He added, trying to recall the details of the case.

 _"Ah, yes. Please come in,"_ as if on cue, the door to our right slid open. The sudden movement and the noise sort of made us jump a bit.

"Pretty fancy, huh?" My coworker asked, watching the door slide open. I didn't reply, it was a rhetorical question. My thoughts were interrupted when he walked ahead, carrying the toolbox with him.

"We best not keep her waiting. Let's get this over with." He stated. Beautifully put. I couldn't have said it better myself. That said, I followed him into the apartment of the filthy rich.

We were greeted by a high school girl that couldn't be older than 16 or 17 years old. She had waist-length black hair and blue eyes. This said girl wasn't fugly either, quite the opposite, in fact.

 _Bet she acts like a biiiiiiitch_ I thought. Stereotypes exist for a reason. People tend to believe the attractive girls act like jerks.

"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-san. Could you please direct us to the problem?" My companion asked. Straightforward but kept a polite tone to his voice.

Our client was slightly surprised at his straightforward behavior. I'm not surprised, if I met someone who provides handyman services with that attitude, I'd probably start cussing or something.

"Ah, of course. Right over here, um…" She trailed off, and looked at us with an unsure look on her face. At first, neither of us understood why she did what she did. But soon after, I realized we never introduced ourselves.

I decided to nudge him with my elbow, and remind him of his manners. He turned to me with a confused look on his face, but soon garnered the same thoughts I had. "Nudge," was an understatement. More like elbowed him.

"Oh, I apologize! My name is Arakaki Tadashi!" It was normal for the people working in our company to introduce themselves since we didn't have any name tags, which was borderline nuts.

Our client then turned to me. She looked at me with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. It was the same look I've always received from strangers. People would stare at me because of the bandages covering both my eyes. To them, I looked like someone who was blind, and that left to wonder "How can he see?". Or was it the face mask she was looking at? Or was it both?

I didn't lose both of my eyes. I only lost one, but the other is fully functional. The surgical face mask served to prevent the spread of an airborne disease I was carrying around.

"He's not important." Arakaki stated with an innocent grin plastered on his face.

 _Fuck you too_

Truth be told, I could care less about introducing myself. Giving your name out to strangers is scary.

"I- I see…" Was all Yukinoshita said. Not surprised, it's not everyday you see one employee act like a douche to the other in public, or in front of a client.

I followed the client to the problem, or at least the other problem. It wouldn't be a stretch to say Arakaki was a problem himself.

"Is there anything else you're having a problem with, Yukinoshita-san?" Arakaki asked, walking behind me.

"No. This is the only problem I've experienced, so far." She replied.

"I see, very well then. Tagawa-kun, I'll return the toolbox to the van," he called out, and turned to leave the apartment. I nodded in response and started fixing the faucet.

For some reason, I had the feeling someone was watching me. I tried brushing it off at first, but the sensation only grew worse. If anything, I might have to look at my left. I can't see anything from the left side due to my current condition.

I turned to check my side, there it was. Lo and behold, the black-haired beauty was staring right at me.

 _Stahp it_

It was normal for people to stare at me for periods of time, but this was different. This was making me a bit uncomfortable. I probably should've said something, but the atmosphere on my end was getting tense and awkward.

 ** _Stahp it_**

This was a little different; her staring had gone longer than I was comfortable with. It felt like she was digging a hole in my head with her own eyes. Is this what Superman would usually be worried about?

 ** _STAHP IT_**

As if reading my thoughts, she looked away in embarrassment and walked off to do her own business. Needless to say, no one wants an awkward situation to plague the atmosphere.

* * *

It didn't take long for us to fix her issue, and by "us" I mean "me". All Arakaki did was run back and come back to a finished product. Useless bastard. Speaking of the bastard, I could hear idle chatter from him and Yukinoshita while I waited down the corridor.

"I am rather curios to how he can see and navigate through his surroundings despite his vision being obscured," she said. No wonder she was staring at me.

"Ah. Well, I don't think I'm in any place to reveal anything about his condition," Arakaki replied, releasing a chuckle at her question.

"Well, with our current uniform, it does make him look like a misfit, or a delinquent. The cap in our uniform definitely doesn't help him one bit," he continued, laughing at his own statement.

 _I can fucking hear you_

"W-well, I wouldn't exactly say the outward appearance of your uniform plus his medical condition make him look like one," she replied with an unsure tone. Understandable, you don't always meet an employee as laid back as this dipstick.

 _You're making her uncomfortable. Cut the crap and let's go_

"Yukinoshita-san, forgive me for asking, but were you staring at him while he was working?" Arakaki asked without a hint of hesitation. Unfortunately, I happened to be peeking at the duo. The said question caused our client to blush in embarrassment and avert her gaze.

 _You're gonna affect our customer satisfaction rating, you know that?_

But before she could reply, Arakaki decided to drop his act and end the conversation.

"Ah. Well, I better get going," he interjected. Thank god, about time you get going.

"Have a nice day Yukinoshita-san!" He called out, speaking his farewell.

"Likewise," the client replied as the doorway sealed itself shut.

Arakaki turned to the corner to see me there, looking at him with my gaze screaming _"What the hell, man?"_ And he understood it, for sure. He let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, come on. You know I didn't mean that!" He said, defending himself. Well, he wasn't wrong. He's always been like that around me. Good thing it wasn't only a daily basis. I would've gone nuts by then.

"But hey, what's it like having a girl stare at you? And a pretty one, too!" Arakaki asked with a smirk on his face. I didn't answer verbally, I only gave an annoyed grunt in response. If anything, he was reading the situation wrong. Guys are simple minded, true. But this staring stemmed from curiosity and peculiarity.

He laughed and changed the topic. "Well, we better get going. You're starting school tomorrow, aren't you?" He asked. The sudden change in topic did remind me of my upcoming school year. Transferring midyear was a little bit of a hassle. Almost got rejected, but I was saved by one open slot for that grade level.

"Sobu High, correct?" Arakaki asked, shifting his eyes toward my direction as he walked beside me.

I only nodded in response, confirming his question. Being born in Japan, then moving back and forth was a hassle. Enrolling in a school in the middle of its academic year didn't help either, but I'm happy it's over with.

"You know, you should talk more. It's probably gonna get me some weird looks if people think I'm talking to myself," he said.

"I don't talk when I don't have to," I replied. He was slightly surprised by my vocal response and soon donned a smile on his face.

"There we go! Now you can go talk to that girl who was staring at you!" He squealed. This crap he'd been pulling had been annoying, to say the least.

"Fuck off."

"Never mind. Looks like you won't be able to get a girlfriend now…" He stated, in a mockingly sad tone.

"Fuck you."

* * *

As soon as I got home, I flopped on my bed and lay there for a good while. Doing odd jobs part-time was so bad. At least it gave me something to do while I waited for my school year to start. There weren't many occupational hazards that were life threatening, other than the jackass that I was assigned to accompany during that venture.

I picked myself up from the bed and walked over to the closet. From there, I pulled out the school uniform of my future school. The choice of clothing the school selected was rather formal, in my opinion. But it was nothing I couldn't handle. If it doesn't make me look like a doofus, then I might as well take it. I was a bit nervous about this. Starting in a different school within a different environment. It was comparable to starting a new life, and it may possibly be.

I was born in Japan, but moved to America when I started my middle school years. Now, I'm back at home country, starting my second year of high school from my origin. I didn't think much about moving out of the borders that belonged to the Western civilization. Had nothing to lose, or miss there. Made a few acquaintances, but not much. Possibly a few friends when I stayed there, but none close enough to affect them when I moved. I was fine with that, it'd probably be better if no one got affected. Don't want someone getting moody or something, and constant communication can be a pain in the ass.

 _I'll be fine…_ I thought, reassuring myself. It's probably normal to be nervous when it comes to all this stuff, right? I don't wanna end up being the weird kid everyone secretly hates. If that does happen, I'll probably end up jumping out the window. Hopefully I don't have to do that, though.

 _What's wrong with being different, though?_

Well, it's a good point. What's wrong with being different? Imitation is suicide. People tend to change themselves and conform so they could fit in. I can't exactly blame them, no one wants to be left out or ostracized. Everyone wants to get along with others, but it doesn't come for free. There's usually a price for everything. If you want to get along with others, you have to change. If you want a decent reputation, you have to leave others behind. If you don't want to be judged, you have to judge others, and the list goes on.

Point is, everyone conforms to something. They shape themselves to fit the majority's views. The majority can rule because they are the strongest. Not because they're right, not because of their morals, but because they're the strongest.

 _And I don't wanna end up being one of them…_

* * *

Welcome to Society,

We hope you enjoy your stay,

And please feel free to be yourself,

As long as it's in the right way,

Make sure you love your body,

Not too much or we'll tear you down,

We'll bully you for smiling,

And then wonder why you frown

We'll tell you that you're worthless,

That you shouldn't make a sound,

And then cry with all the others,

As your buried in the ground

You can fall in love with anyone,

As long as it's who we choose,

And we'll let you have your opinions,

But please shape them to our views,

Welcome to Society,

We promise that we won't deceive,

And one more rule now that you're here,

There's no way you can leave.

-e.h.

* * *

A/N:

Okay, this story just came off the top of my head. Chances are, this guy is gonna fuck around often in his mind.

This was just a setting I came up with. Might change the title, currently a placeholder. If it stays the same as it progresses, then it'll most likely be final. Updates from this story will come feedback. If you're interested in where this goes, or what effect he'll bring, then just tell me.

I'm not quite sure myself.

This chapter serves as background information and an introduction for future chapters.

"Imitation is suicide" - Ralph Waldo Emerson


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I switched the names

Arakaki Taichi — Arakaki Tadashi

Tagawa Tadashi — Tagawa Taichi

* * *

Chapter 2: Pls no…

As I walked through the streets in my uniform, I looked at the different people that walked in the same direction. Some of them had the same uniform, others wore something different.

 _My first day of school, huh?_

They say High School can be one of the best times of your life. But, really, it depends on what the person does in high school. Get a girlfriend? Awesome. Make friends? Nice. Do drugs? Spectacular. Knocked up a girlfriend? Congratulations. Point is, it all comes down to what they actually do.

Not that I did any drugs, or at least, not that I remember. I sure hope I didn't. That aside, I was a little worried about my interaction with others. My social skills aren't the best, and some people tend to laugh at what I say. Not sure if that's a good thing, but if I say something that makes people laugh, then I'll take it.

 _People looking…_

Diversity is one reason why ridicule exists. People tend to look at something or someone they don't understand with a scornful eye. Is that why people change to match those around them? Maybe it was, or maybe they just had similar interests. There wasn't really a way to tell unless you were perceptive or gathered the answer from the person themselves.

My thoughts were interrupted when I accidentally bumped into someone. I heard a grunt from the said person, though the grunt was more of a surprised one than an annoyed grunt.

I stopped walking, and the person did the same. We both stared at each other and stayed quiet. Weird, thought he would say something, but that never happened. I decided to apologize to ward off any awkward feeling that could potentially plague the atmosphere.

With a small bow, I offered my apology to the person I bumped into. This said person wore the same uniform and looked to be a teenage boy. Couldn't be any older than I was. He had short-medium black hair with a strand of hair sticking upwards and a pair of the most lifeless eyes I've seen in my entire life on earth.

 _God damn, you look fucked_

It was a good thing I didn't say those thoughts out loud. It would've turned awkward. I can't imagine bumping into a person with an apology offered along the lines of "God damn, you look fucked.". Needless to say, I didn't want that and I'm sure he didn't either. After what seemed like an eternity of staring and silence, he muttered his own at apology.

"Sorry…" It was almost inaudible, but hey, not trying to be a bitch about it.

I gave another bow, and decided to go my own way. Despite running into him, it was apparently dismissed by the object wrapped around my eyes. It was too easy to tell. People aren't very welcoming of something different. They usually approach such things with caution and fear. I'm not surprised. If some guy bumped into you by accident, and that said person happened to have his eyes covered in bandages, wouldn't you consider it to be witchcraft? I sure would.

* * *

After what seemed like a long duration of walking, I finally arrived at the school gates. It wasn't anything fancy, but it wasn't underwhelming either. Seemed like a pretty big area. Got three to four story buildings, a wing dedicated to sports activities, and a bunch of other areas. I decided to enter the building and approach what looked like the bulletin board. I began scanning through the lists in search of my name.

 _Found it_

Tagawa Taichi, class 2-F. Great, got my class information out. I just need to find the class and get a seat. Only problem is, I don't know where this class is. I began looking around for any possible sign that could help me in my search. I had the feeling there'd be one, if there weren't any, then I don't know how the students could navigate through this school.

 _Oh, over there_

I spotted a few signs above the doorway of another room that read "2-A". Bingo, that solves the case. Being lost in the first day is only gonna make me look like an ass. Even though I'm already one to begin with.

 _Guess I should go this way_

With every bit of confidence I could pull from my ass, I started walking down the hallway. But it wasn't without trouble. Students loitered around the hallways engaging in idle chatter. Only problem was, I somehow interrupted their conversations. Some of the said students began trailing off in their previous sentences and turned to look at me. I got the feeling I knew why they'd stare at me like that. Really, there's only one reason why they'd do what they did.

 _Why am I not surprised..?_

I sighed and continued walking through the corridor. I was half expecting it, though I didn't know why I did. It should've been fully expected that I'd get majority of the students to act like this. Maybe I've grown accustomed to this sort of thing to forget about it. It does make sense to forget a factor when it comes to a new environment.

 _Come on, Taichi. Why does this even come out as surprising?_

I stopped my stroll in front of a doorway as I looked up at the sign. It read "2-F" all over it. No doubt my classroom. I didn't know why, but it took me quite a while to grab the handle of the doorway and unseal the gateway to hell, or in this, the classroom.

"Ah, you must be the new student," a voice spoke up, interrupting my action. I turned to the source of the voice, which happened to be behind me. My sight was greeted by a middle-aged teacher with lengthy black hair, wearing a lab coat. When my face came to her view, she looked slightly surprised at what she saw, but quickly brushed it off and donned a smile on her face.

"What's your name?" She asked in a friendly and welcoming manner.

"Tagawa Taichi, sensei," I replied, bowing my head to show respect. Though my tone was a little monotone, making my action a bit of a stretch.

"Pleased to meet you! I'm Hiratsuka Shizuka, I will be your homeroom and Modern Japanese teacher." She replied, "come on in, class is about to start. Go ahead and pick any of the empty seats."

 _Simple, might as well sit in the back_

I followed her into the class, and pairs of eyes were on us. That was the last thing I wanted; a portion of the class staring right at me.

"Alright, everyone, classes start soon. We have a new student with us, today!" Hiratsuka-sensei announced, gesturing towards me.

Scratch that, _this_ is the last thing I wanted. Everyone turned their heads to the source of the voice and feasted their eyes on two individuals. Honestly, it felt more like one individual. You see a teacher everyday, but a new student was something people also wanted to see.

 _Oh. Mah. Gawd._

My body just went stiff and I froze, the feeling of nervousness crept up to my mind as I scanned and tried to decipher the reactions my classmates were presenting.

 _Pls no…_

"What happened to him?" I could hear people whispering and murmuring questions and thoughts after taking a good look at my condition. To say that I wasn't the least bit bothered would be a lie. No one wants to be the center of negative or unknown attention, and I'm no exception. Hiratsuka-sensei must have noticed the growing tension and broke the silence in the classroom.

"Alright, everyone. Go back to your seats, classes start now!" The teacher ordered, everyone obeyed and took their seats. Beside me, were two empty seats up against the wall. I decided to take the seat closest to the back of the class.

 _This will do_

A figured passed me after I took my seat. Upon closer inspection, the said figure had short-medium black hair, a strand of hair in its rebellious stage and a pair of dead eyeballs. Gasp.

 _It's that guy :o_

The lifeless classmate of mine took notice of me and turned to look at me. I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking. Mainly because his expression kept a straight face. It wouldn't be a stretch to say his facial expressions would stay the same in any situation he's faced with.

 _Stare…_

I decided to break the tension between us and awkwardly wave at him.

The action broke him out of his trance and he nodded, acknowledging my existence.

"Alright, class! The cultural festival starts tomorrow! I hope you're all prepared and have everything set up." Hiratsuka-sensei called out.

 _Oh, cultural festival? Tomorrow?_

Perks of joining midyear: past homework and assignments don't need to be made up. Second, if the school happens to be hosting an event, you don't really have to do any of the work or help anyone with anything, and third, teachers will leave you out in participation should it have any connection to the past lessons.

 _What a way to start my first day of school…_

* * *

 _What… The hell…_

I stared at the sheet of paper in front of me, it was an essay given to me by Hiratsuka-sensei. I turned to look at her, my expression asking for an explanation.

"Well, they wanted me to give you a grade. With the amount of work you missed, they told me the remaining assignments won't be enough to give you a decent for the year," she explained.

Cons of starting midyear: teachers can give you more work should the school deem it necessary.

"It's simply, really. You just have to look back at your previous years of school," she continued, "just don't half-ass it, like someone I know…" She trailed off at the last bit and turned to look at the person in front of me. Her eyes turned cold and her expression became hostile.

The said person was a little startled at the sudden assault.

"In my defense, you didn't present the prompt and instructions clearly. But that's only normal for someone with your age sens-" His statement was interrupted by someone slamming their hand on a desk. Specifically, _my desk._ The sudden impact startled both of us, indicated by us jumping in surprise.

 _Oh my god, this woman…_

"What was that about my age, Hikigaya-kun?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked with a smile on her face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that smile was more of a threatening one than an encouraging one. I stared at both of them in fear. Was this how she interacted with her students? Or was it just this guy? Either way, I was scared shitless by this behavior.

"Nothing. I'm very sorry…" Turns out he was scared shitless as well. The middle-aged teacher turned to me with the same smile on her face. I felt the feeling of nervousness build up within me. The temperature around us apparently increased significantly. I was starting to sweat a bit from PTSD.

Hiratsuka-sensei let out a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of her head.

"Anyway, Tagawa-kun, there's not a lot to it. Just follow the prompt and you'll be fine, okay?" She asked in a cheerful voice, smiling at me. But deep inside, I knew I was fucked if I tried anything smart with this woman. I nodded my head vigorously. I didn't need to be told twice. I don't know about the other guy, but I plan on staying alive till I have nothing else to do in life.

* * *

Normally, I'd go outside the class and look for a spot to eat by myself. But the classroom turned out to be a valid option due to the amount of people leaving the class. I had my earphones plugged in so I could eat in peace. However, this pleasant activity didn't last due to a certain group of people who were noisy as hell.

I paused the song, which was named _Dream Lantern_ and turned my hearing to the group at the back of the class.

"You've been spending less time with us during lunch, can't you, like, at least skip out on one period of lunch with her and hang out with us?" A voice asked, her tone sounded a little pompous and annoyed. I turned to the source of the voice and saw a blonde girl with slightly wavy hair at the front. Apparently she was questioning a friend of hers that also belonged to their circle. The defendant was a girl with shoulder length coral hair, accompanied by a bun on the side.

"Eh, well, I already planned to eat lunch with her…" The said defendant said, though she didn't seem very confident. Guess she could succumb to peer pressure easily.

 _Get yourself together. Talking in a tone like that won't help you_

"…and I told her I'd be there after fourth period," she continued. Her tone wasn't any different from the previous statement. Well, can't exactly blame her. This sort of stuff happens all the time, and it always happens when people don't want it to.

 _Hmm… I need to know who these people are_ I thought. I didn't wanna jump to conclusions. Forming conclusions based on looks and behavior is easy, but it's not always reliable. Sure, they could be correct from time to time, but I didn't wanna risk making myself look like an ass.

I turned to the person seated in front of me.

 _Maybe he knows..?_

I pondered a bit and tried to recall everything I knew about him. From what I've seen, he was the quiet type, occasionally sarcastic and rude. He didn't seem like the type to spend time with others. Rather contradictory to my perspective, but it didn't seem like he had a lot of friends. On the way to school, he walked by himself, and currently, he was eating lunch by himself. I tried to recall his name, and went back to what Hiratsuka-sensei said.

 _Hi-ki-ga-ya?_

All these thoughts were purely just assumptions and are yet to be confirmed. I'd have to confirm it some other time. Maybe even talk to them, so I could decide what's true and what's not.

I decided to leave the man alone and carry on with my own business and buried the rest of the noise in class with my music by turning the volume up.

 _Culture Festival, please… Where are you when I need you?_

* * *

A/N: If this chapter happens to be a little confusing, go ahead and PM me. I don't have a lot to do, most of the time.

If you have any questions, just go ahead and use the same method above.

Someone explain to me why Hayama says he isn't the nice guy everyone thinks he is? If you have an explanation, go ahead and PM me. I don't quite remember everything or understand everything.

There's a reference to Kimi no na wa in this chapter, too


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Just a heads up, I followed the anime and never really read the LN

* * *

Chapter 3: …I called the police

The cultural festival, a great day to be a freeloader. Or a lazy bitch, depending on how you look at it. For students, it was a day to relax and do whatever while the festival was ongoing. But for the committee, it was a load of work. They were tasked with the festivals planning and the overall outcome of the festival rests on their hands.

I stood at the back of the crowd, not far from the doorway. I was waiting for the opening ceremony of the festival to begin. Apparently, they were gonna present the festival's slogan and present some performances along with it. Not a bad idea, could get the crowd worked up and immerse themselves into the actual festival.

 **"Hey, you guys!"** A voice called out, over the microphone. I turned to look at the person screaming on the stage and found the student council president, Shiromeguri Meguri. I didn't know much about her, just that she's the student council president. The crowd went cray and started cheering.

 **"Are you ready for this festival?!"** The council president asked, **"Chiba's Specialities: Dancing and—"** Her question was directed at the crowd. Well, not really a question, it was more like she was urging them to finish what she saying for her.

 **"Festivals!"** The crowd answered back. Turns out they were already immersed.

 **"We're all fools, so let's dance and—"**

 **"Sing a song!"** The crowd went nuts at this point, and things got better when performers came out from behind the curtains and did their thing. The performances, however, didn't last long. It turns out they were gonna have the chairwoman say a few words.

 **"And now…"** The student council president trailed off. As if on cue, another student walked out from behind the curtains and took center stage. **"We'll have a few words from our festival's chairwoman!"**

"Hello—" The chairwoman's words were interrupted by a wave of audio feedback that sent a ringing sound around the auditorium.

 _'Oh, ma lord'_ I covered both my ears in an attempt to save them from any kind of harm.

' _I'm already half blind. I don't wanna lose my ears as well'_ Even the chairwoman herself looked surprised at sudden interruption. I'm not surprised, the audience didn't seem too happy to experience that. Neither am I.

 **"Okay! We're gonna do this over!"** An enthusiastic voice interjected, no doubt the council president, **"The floor's yours, chairwoman!"**

 _Guess I'm headed out_ I exited the auditorium as I went through the doorway. With the opening ceremony done, I could pretty much do whatever I wanted to do. Well…saying the ceremony was done would be a lie, but I wanted to spare myself the feeling of empathy from watching the chairwoman struggle. It would do good for the chairwoman if there were less people witnessing someone else's embarrassment.

* * *

 **"I shall not leave you!"**

 _The fuck, man?_

I'm not quite sure how I got here, but somehow, I ended up back in my classroom. There were two actors at the front of the stage. The audience consisted of girls, and the genre of this play presumably fell under "romance". My guess was, the blonde guy, who happens to be my classmate, was a guy. The other actor, who had short light grey hair and a feminine appearance, was most likely a girl. I didn't quite recognize her though.

But in the back of my mind, I had the feeling I was wrong…

I did remember seeing the cast and their roles before walking in the room, though. The pilot was played by a person named Hayama Hayato? The Prince, on the other hand, was played by someone named Totsuka Saika.

 _Pilot, portrayed as male… The audience is consists of girls… The prince is definitely a role for a guy… Wait…_

…

Does that mean..?

 _This is fucking yaoi, isn't it?_

Despite the outward appearance of this festival, which presents a look of joy and fun, it no doubt looked successful. Maybe it would be true for the majority who went to the festival, but, of course, I had some questions in the back of my mind regarding this whole idea.

Like how the fuck they got this idea approved?

The crowd had erupted into cheers and the audience was clapping. Many of them had enjoyed the show and some of them had teary eyes. One of the girls had even passed out with blood running from her nose. Much to my dismay, I never knew there were this many girl that liked yaoi. I mean, if they like that stuff, that's fine. But you gotta wonder…

 _…What do they do in their free time?_

Do I wanna know?

 _Hell no_

The world is a scary place. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I walked over to the poor soul that passed out on the floor and picked her up. I grabbed her arm and pulled it over my shoulder. She was muttering something over and over again, but I couldn't make out anything she was saying. It was something about sheep, or whatever it was that she kept repeating. I looked at the girl and took note of her looks. She had brown hair, wore a pair of red half-framed glasses with green eyes behind them. Her current mental state wasn't exactly on the conscious side and her mind had wandered off somewhere. It was apparent with all the creepy giggling and smiling.

I let out an exhausted sigh as a question came into mind.

 _Just how much did you enjoy the show..?_

I turned back to the spot she collapsed at. There were traces of blood littered on the floor. There wasn't much blood, only a few drops of it. I sat the girl who had passed out on a chair and kept her leaning on the back rest of the chair to stop her from falling over. After I safely position her on the seat, I turned back to the floor.

 _The floor isn't gonna clean itself_

I walked out the doorway and headed for the washroom. It wasn't far from the class. I just needed a few sheets of tissue, or something. My mind wandered back to what I've learned of the class, so far. It housed a loner with lifeless eyes, a noisy, but dominant circle of friends, a girl who seemed to enjoy yaoi, a blonde guy who was apparently popular among the girls, and one guy who had one hell of a feminine appearance.

A few of the listed people were pretty much expected in a typical high school environment, except for the yaoi part of the list, and the feminine-looking guy. It's a rather rare occurrence to find a girl who doesn't bat an eye about liking yaoi, same goes for the dude as well. In every school, there are weirdos, the popular ones or the cool kids, loners, and so on. But there were some new things I've seen so far. This was probably my first time meeting, or more like, seeing, a girl who openly expressed her love for yaoi. Additionally, I don't recall any guy who sported an outward appearance that closely resembled that of the opposite gender…

But I guess there's a first time for everything…

As I entered the washroom, I looked at the mirror and saw my own outward appearance. A young high school boy with short spiky black hair with a cotton roller bandage covering both of his eyes. Didn't look too bad, or at least, that's what I thought. The bandages probably made it look like I lost both my eyes, but I only really lost one of them.

 _I look like a delinquent in this getup_

I reached for the bandages covering my eyes and gently pulled them off. The person in the mirror looked different. Both his eyes were visible but only one of them looked functional. His right eye was colored black and his left eye had a few small scars littered on his eyelids and areas surrounding his eye. The eye itself was sealed shut from its previous injury, rendering it useless.

"Hmm…" I was a bit lost in thought whilst eyeing my overall appearance without the bandages.

 _Doesn't look too bad, but nobody's gonna wanna see that…_

I snapped out of my thoughts and suddenly remembered why I went to the washroom. I pulled out a sheet of paper towel from the dispenser. A single sheet of paper could handle it, but I'd need a second one in case she needed to wipe her nose. Thank god she didn't bleed out longer than she did, it would've taken a bit more work if there was a pool of blood lying about. I didn't wanna use up anymore energy than what was necessary.

 _Better not keep her waiting_

* * *

 **Third Person POV**

"Hey, Hikki," Yuigahama called out. She was seated beside Sobu High's anti-social loner, Hikigaya Hachiman.

"What?" Hikigaya replied, turning to face his club mate.

"You've seen the new student, right?" She asked, looking at the direction he was previously walking to.

"What about him?" He asked, turning away and looking at the ongoing festival instead.

"How does he see with that thing covering his eyes?" She asked, curios of their new classmates ability to navigate through his surroundings. To an outsiders perspective, he would appear to be blind, but that's only the superficial opinion. There's no guarantee that he was actually blind to begin with, or at least, logically, he wouldn't be.

"He might not be completely blind," Hikigaya suggested, "if he can move around that well, then he probably just lost one of his eyes. Or worse, he could be…" He trailed off as he continued observing the environment.

"Could be what?" She asked curiously, urging him to continue. Yuigahama looked at him intently, waiting for his suggestion.

 _Like Zaimokuza_ He thought.

"…Never mind, it's nothing," he said coolly. Yuigahama was slightly disappointed by his response, but she didn't pry.

"We should try talking to him. I haven't seen him talk to anyone," The coral-haired girl suggested, "It doesn't seem like he's going around the festival with anyone either," she concluded with a sad tone present in her voice.

 _Yuigahama, loners are loners for a reason_ Hikigaya thought. He knew the qualities and characteristics of loners well, and he _is_ a rather perceptive individual. An individual who keep see through the masks and façades of people.

 _Loners aren't used to attention. Therefore, attention is the last thing we want_

"I'm sure he doesn't mind being alone," Hikigaya stated. He was trying to dissuade her from intruding on the said persons solitude, "If he did want friends, he probably would've done it on his first day. Some people look at him in pity. So, they're willing to offer their sympathy," he reasoned in an ambiguous proposition. Yuigahama looked at him with a surprised look on her face as she processed the words coming from her classmate.

"Therefore, it wouldn't be difficult for him to get along with others, but…" He trailed off, in thought of a different scenario.

"There's a possibility he knows of it and refuses to form relationships based off of pity." He concluded in his usual monotone voice. His reasoning behind the dissuasion proved logical and plausible, but Yuigahama persisted in her planned course of action.

"Even so, wouldn't it be better if, he, like, had someone to talk to?" The airhead countered, trying to prove the point of her action, "It's better than nothing, right?"

Hikigaya let out a mildly irritated sigh and faced his classmate.

"If you're so persistent about it, why don't you try talking to him?" He asked, "No one's stopping you, but if you're gonna talk to him, I'm staying here," He inquired in his usual monotonous voice. Yuigahama pouted and continued trying to persuade her stubborn classmate into socializing.

"Come on, Hikki! Can't we at least try?" She asked. His resolve was starting to slip the more she persisted. Despite his strong personality, and his ability to brush off getting the short end of the stick, he was rather susceptible to peer pressure. But before he could attempt to resist, his action was interrupted by the same person pressuring him into doing her bidding.

"Oh, there he is," Yuigahama interjected. Hikigaya turned his gaze towards the same direction she was looking at and saw the said person walking down the corridor with two sheets of paper towel in his hands. Yuigahama took notice and decided to inquire the poor soul seated beside her.

"What's he gonna do with those?" She asked curiously.

"He was helping Ebina up from the floor a while ago," Hikigaya explained, "He's probably gonna clean the blood Ebina littered on the floor." He recalled Ebina collapsing beside him from excitement after watching the play she directed. She, no doubt, placed a tremendous amount of effort on directing the play. Mainly because it was aligned with her personal interests. Though, she may have put a little too much passion since she did try to pair Hayama and Hikigaya together for the play. Hikigaya was able to escape the role, but Hayama…he was a different story…

 _Didn't think I'd ever be grateful for being forced to work…_ Hikigaya thought, recalling the feeling of dread that threatened to reign over him when he discovered his name on the plays cast.

"If you wanna talk to him, now's a great time," Hikigaya suggested, watching the new student walk into the classroom. Yuigahama's eyes followed the students figure, as soon as the said student was out of sight, she realized her club mate had said something.

"Come on, Hikki, at least come with me!" She whined. Hikigaya let out an exasperated sigh and decided to give in to her demands. He knew talking his way out would only prolong his struggle. So, he took the only path out.

"Fine."

* * *

 **First Person POV**

I extended my hand to offer the yaoi fan a sheet of paper towel to wipe her nose. As soon as she accepted my offering, I turned to the floor and knelt in front of the blood spilled on the floor and started cleaning. It wasn't gonna take long, nothing I can't handle, anyway.

"Thanks," a voice interjected. I turned to the source of the voice and saw the bespectacled girl smiling at me. I nodded in acknowledgement and stood up. I walked over to her and extended my hand, gesturing to the crumpled sheet she used to wipe her nose. She looked confused at first, but soon realized what I was asking for. She handed the crumpled object over to me and I took it from her hands.

"Thanks, um…" She trailed off, it sounded like she wanted me to say something. Probably wanted a name.

"Tagawa Taichi," I said, introducing myself.

"Ebina Hina," she replied in kind. She smiled as she introduced herself, "Pleased to meet you!" She added, a cheerful tone laced to her voice.

"Likewise," I replied nonchalantly and carried on with my business. After a few steps, I stopped in my tracks and recalled her name.

"Ebina-san, were you the one who directed the play?" I asked, turning to face her. I saw her name somewhere before, she held the position of director for the class play. I probably saw it on the board some days ago. An awkward chuckle escaped her lips before she replied.

"Ah, yes. That would be me." She had a sheepish grin on her. It's probably an expected reaction. To have a stranger find out you directed a yaoi play wasn't something that happened everyday. Not for me, at least. "You did a good job, Ebina-san." I added.

My compliment managed to elicit a smile from her. Fine by me, might as well try to get along with everyone. Never know when they could be of use to me… Not that I treat acquaintances like tools.

"Thanks." I nodded in acknowledgement of her gratitude and carried on my business.

 _That should suffice. Not a lot to talk about, anyway_ I thought. I turned around and walked towards the doorway. I needed to throw away the used paper towels and wash my hands. But before I could grab the handle and slide the door open, it seemed like someone from the other side beat me to it and the door slid open rather abruptly. Two people stood in front of me. I recognized one of them, but the other was an unknown.

 _Eyyyy, it's you again!_ It was that guy! The one with the lifeless pair of eyes. The other one had pink hair, or was it coral? I wasn't sure, but either way, it's close enough.

The three of us just stood there, looking at each other. The two unknowns seemed to have a stronger effect on me though since there were two of them. So, it made it a bit unnerving to see them stare at me. It'd probably be better if one of us tried to clear the tension in the atmosphere…

 _Well, this is awkward…_

The lifeless one, who I recalled was named Hikigaya, turned to the person beside him. But the girl only looked at him expectantly, as if urging him on. He sighed in annoyance and turned to face me. The lifeless heap of flesh cleared his throat and attempted a conversation.

"You're the new student, right?" He asked. It seemed like he wasn't really into this kind of stuff. He sounded a bit bored and disinterested. Maybe the girl forced him into this. I wasn't quite sure, but judging by their nonverbal communication a while ago, it may be the case. Well, he did give off a vibe similar to that of a loner, or rather, a solitary person. I could imagine the difficulty he experiences in socializing, given his exterior or looks.

I nodded, confirming their question.

"Tagawa Taichi," I repeated the same introduction I presented to Ebina-san and informed them of my name.

"Hikigaya Hachiman," Hikigaya replied in a monotonous voice. I turned to his…friend, perhaps? I wasn't quite sure what their relationship was. Though, it'd probably be safe to assume she was a friend of his. She seemed to have noticed my gaze and caught on to my gesture. After snapping back to reality, she began to introduce herself.

"Ah, Yuigahama Yui!" She had a rather cheerful voice that was accompanied by a smile. That tone and the smile she had on her face were obvious indications that she was the friendly type. Probably the kind of student that gets along with everyone—they're found somewhere in schools. There's always gotta be that one person under that category. I'm rather surprised these two got along; they were complete opposites.

Now that I think about it, she's probably the reason why he seems disinterested in all this.

"Hey, Tagawa-kun, wanna join us? We're gonna check out the festival!" Yuigahama asked in a cheerful tone. Hikigaya suddenly turned to face his companion, surprised at her sudden invitation. It didn't seem like he was expecting her to say that. Was this something she thought of on a whim? Because it sure as hell seemed like it.f

 _Spare the bugger the trouble_

"I wouldn't mind, but I have things to do." I replied, putting on an apologetic tone. I didn't wanna hurt her, she probably means well, but her friend doesn't seem to be into the idea of walking around the festival with other people against his will. Her facial expressions quickly changed. She looked disappointed, but who wouldn't be? I'd feel the same way if someone I just met declined an invitation.

"Sorry, Yuigahama-san."

"Ah… I see…" Yuigahama brushed it off with an awkward chuckle and smiled. I felt bad for doing that, but I did it to spare two of the three of us any trouble. You can't exactly enjoy anything you're forced to do. If there are any exceptions, then those people might be fucking masochists. But, I ain't judging, to each his own, I guess. I gave her a small bow to convey my apology and walked out of the classroom with the intent to dispose of the trash, or rather, myself.

 _Over there_

I spotted a bin and approached it. It didn't have any labels on it to indicate segregation, so I decided it was safe to just toss it in there. Just when I was about to leave, I heard a whistle being blow behind me. I turned to look at the rising commotion and saw Shiromeguri-san and three other bespectacled nerds, or rather, the student council. But that was just my guess, it didn't seem like a stretch though. They looked pretty professional, it looked like they were trying to disperse what looked like a growing commotion that was brewing from a line outside a classroom.

But one person caught me off guard…

There was no doubt about it, that waist-length black hair, those blue eyes, and that look of formality and sophistication that she gave off.

It was Yukinoshita Yukino. The client Arakaki and I handled a few days ago.

 _Nooo fucking way, man…_

I did not expect that. Turns out the weirdo who kept staring at my superficially non-existent eyes went to the same high school I did. She also wore an armband, indicating her affiliation with the committee. With fear starting to bite my ass, I turned my gaze towards anything useful around me—I saw a small group of people that could obscure my figure from anyones vision, should they look my way.

 _Ah, there_

I turned back to see her talking to a person with a clipboard on her hands. I also spotted the two people I recently met looking at the ongoing commotion, but the said commotion was quickly dealt with thanks to the student council. I never saw the student council in action before, so it was pretty amazing watching the president execute a solution smoothly.

 _Impressive, Shiromeguri-san_

Right after I complimented the student council president inwardly, Yukinoshita's gaze turned this way. Thus, my escape plan came into play. I carefully walked to the side and turned my gaze towards the floor, burying my presence behind a group of people to avoid any possible chance of being spotted. Though, I wasn't quite sure if she was looking at my general direction or looking at someone or something else. But one thing's for sure…

 _I ain't having any of that_

I pulled my phone out and started fidgeting with it to make myself look busy. If I pulled this off, then I'd disappear from the background. But if I screwed up, I'd have to deal with that creep for a second time. Hopefully, the latter wouldn't be the case.

I stayed in this position for a while, hoping she wouldn't look this way for too long. Any reasonable person wouldn't stare off into the distance for long, unless they were spacing out or seeing something spooky, but what could possibly be spooky about a cultural festival?

After what seemed like tens of minutes of standing around like a doofus, I peeked my head out from behind the crowd and looked at the direction I last saw Yukinoshita— nothing, she probably left shortly after looking around. Fine by me.

I walked out from behind the crowd of people and made my way down the corridor. It'd probably be better to go out and take in some fresh air. These hallways were too crowded for my liking, and it would decrease the chances of running into her.

I stepped out the doorway and took a whiff of fresh air. It was just like snorting in some cocaine—except fresh air doesn't quite get you tripping.

 _I should get something to eat_

And maybe get a drink.

* * *

I bought some Kasuteras from a stall outside the school. Except they were a miniature version of the actual Kasutera (A/N: SPONGE CAKES). While I stood idling around and munching on my food, I heard someone speak up from behind me.

"Ah, you must be the new student!" A voice exclaimed, like they had found a rare Pokémon.

 _WHY DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP BOTHERING ME?_

I turned around to face the said person and came face to face with a student who had grayish eyes, and shoulder-length brown hair which was worn in twin braids. It was the student council president.

I stared at her while munching on my food, which didn't take long, but I probably looked like an asswipe for doing that. After swallowing the food that occupied my mouth, I nodded in response.

"Ah! I'm Shiromeguri Meguri!" She chirped.

Honestly, I only half expected the voice to belong to a girl. I'm not very sure why. If I turned around to come face to face with a dude who owned a voice like that, I would've been terrified.

"I'm—" I replied but I was cut off midway.

"Tagawa Taichi." She interrupted in a peppy tone.

This girl was oddly cheerful, it sort of reminded me of Yuigahama-san. Girls like this tend to get along well with other people, but I'm sure these people are only doing this cause I stick out so much. If I didn't have these bandages on my damn eyes, they probably wouldn't have bothered. Not like I have the right to complain, outcasts usually want to be accepted and I'm probably seen as one. But there are exceptions.

"Ah, yeah…" I replied nonchalantly, but I was a bit surprised. She smiled at my fragmented response, but it quickly morphed into a curios expression, like she was thinking. She wasn't looking directly at me, but she was inspecting something. From the looks of it, it seemed she had something to say.

"Need something?" I asked. She was a bit surprised at my sudden question and recoiled a bit—surprising.

 _Really?_

Startled over that? This person gave off the impression an airhead would, and I was close to considering it, but I didn't wanna draw any conclusions before I even got to know this girl.

"Ah, I was just wondering what happened to your eyes."

 _No wonder_

Yeah…these things are definitely getting me some attention. Unwanted ones, to be exact. But that didn't matter at the moment. I wasn't even sure I wanted to answer the question; I didn't really feel like answering it. Not because it was a touchy subject or anything, but because I tend to be a lazy fuck from time to time. Maybe a plausible answer will keep her at bay, something vague but sensible.

"Won a game of Jenga with a few friends."

Shiromeguri-san looked at me with a confused expression plastered on her face, but it changed into a smile and she started giggling. I reciprocated the feeling of confusion over her course of action after witnessing her laugh at my excuse. I wasn't quite sure if it was something I said that caused her to laugh.

"What are you saying?"

"Was it that bad?" I asked, but she didn't answer. I didn't quite understand this girl. She was a weirdo. I decided to change the subject before it got awkward.

"Would you like something to eat? I'd feel bad leaving you standing there." I offered. I didn't wanna eat in front of her and leave her watching when she sort of went out of her way just to introduce herself to me. It would be such a dick move if I did. Even though my dad firmly believes I'm a jackass, I have some redeeming qualities.

"Ah. No, it's okay, thank you, though!" She must be declining out of politeness.

"I insist." She seemed a bit surprised at my response, but brushed it off with another smile. I could tell she was hesitant about it, but didn't want to turn down my offer. Especially not after I said I insisted.

"Well, I guess I could take you up on your offer." She replied with a reluctant smile.

 _Works for me_

We roamed around the festival in search of anything that interested her and had some small talks here and there, but when we finally came to something that appealed to her, she settled for a candy apple. Heh, cliché. For some reason, girls tend to love candy apples. While I was in the process of buying her the said item, I settled on purchasing a couple of drinks as well. Wouldn't hurt to go a little further. I didn't know what she liked, so, I just settled for iced tea.

"I wasn't quite sure if you had any particular preference, but I just bought iced tea." She looked at me in surprise but soon brushed it off and took the drink on my hand.

"You're too kind, Tagawa-kun."

 _Guess that means she'll take it_

"I try to be."

Though, I wasn't sure if she was being socially dishonest. But even if she was, I could probably understand. Not like I have the right to complain. Everyone's socially dishonest at some point. Sayings like 'it's the thought that counts' could count as being socially dishonest. People won't always know what you want, but when they offer you a gift, you accept it out of courtesy. If you don't, you come off as someone rude and disrespectful. Compliments and encouragement could fall under the same category as well. When someone's feeling down, a reasonable person would comfort them and encourage them, even if a person doesn't stand a chance at anything. No one's truly honest. I wasn't against working with a romanticist idea despite my realist preference. It would be better to go down the path of least resistance.

 _All these realist thoughts are gonna kill me, one day_

I popped my own drink open to chill out, it wasn't very different from what I gave her. The only difference was the flavor I bought; it was red tea. As I took a sip of my own drink, I observed her from the corner of my eye. She seemed fairly happy with the drink I bought her, so preference shouldn't be a problem the next time I buy her something. A rather comfortable silence had enveloped our atmosphere after we settled down, and I was content with it. I don't mind the silence, but it may be a stranger to someone like her.

From what I could tell, Shiromeguri Meguri could be considered a social type. She exudes an aura of comfortability, she could probably make other people feel at ease with her presence alone. She's friendly and optimistic, the kind of person that gets along with everyone, and in turn, everyone gets along with her.

Then she broke the silence.

"Tell me about yourself, Tagawa-kun." She started, looking at me with curios eyes. Should've expected it, I didn't quite reveal anything about myself during our conversations that occurred while we were roaming around.

"There's not a lot that's interesting about me." I replied.

"Then there must be a little bit that's interesting." She countered.

"Well, I guess the only interesting thing about me is: I'm bilingual." I started. My response seemed to have caught her interest.

"What other language do you know?"

"English. Moved to America and started my middle school years there. Also spent my first year of high school there." I replied.

"Did you spend your elementary years here?" She asked.

"Yeah, don't remember much though. Vaguely remember one possible friend, but that's about it." I said, "Pain in the ass, too. Once you get good at English, they make you take a foreign language class." She seemed surprised at my sudden use of foul language, but hey, who wouldn't be? I was on school grounds to begin with.

"What foreign language class did you take?" Shiromeguri-san asked, brushing off my use of foul language. But can you really weigh "ass" as something heavy if you had to rate it as a curse word? I could think of a delightful F word that outweighs its overall emphasis.

"Spanish." I replied. She seemed rather intrigued at my choice and prodded further.

"Interesting choice, Tagawa-kun. Say something in Spanish!" She demanded in an excited tone.

I decided to humor her.

"Mi no habla español."

"What does that mean?" She asked.

"'I don't speak Spanish.'" I replied.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…what?" I asked. I was a bit confused. She _did_ ask me to speak in Spanish right? And I did, I don't know what I did wrong.

The student council president burst out laughing, it wasn't the hysterical kind, but it was one hell of a fit. Thankfully, not a lot of people seemed to have turned their attention our way after the sudden increase in volume from our general direction.

"Is that all you know, Tagawa-kun?" She asked as she wiped a tear coming from her eye.

"Like I said, pain in the ass. Didn't bother trying to remember all of it," I replied, "and I'm sure it's gonna bite me in the ass sooner or later."

"How about you? Learn any foreign language?" I asked, turning to her.

"Not really. I don't have any interest in a particular language." She replied

"Good, keep it that way. If it isn't something you're interested in, you won't enjoy doing it." I said, giving out some common advice.

"I guess that's true."

After that conversation died down, silence enveloped the atmosphere around us as we took a sip of our drinks. From what I could gather, she wasn't a bad person. She was friendly, she actually bothered trying to talk to me, so, that's a plus. She's also kinda cute…

"I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you needed somewhere? You're the student council president, correct?" I asked.

She checked the time on her phone after receiving my inquiry and a look of realization dawned on her face. She must have remembered something important just now. The student council president turned to face me with another smile on her face.

I was close to considering her to be the epitome of enthusiasm at this point.

"How much did it cost you?" Shiromeguri-san asked. I guess she had to go.

"Don't worry about it, my treat." I replied casually whilst taking a swig of my drink. She seemed a bit surprised at my reply.

"Thanks, Tagawa-kun." I could tell she was trying to be sincere.

"Hm, I'll see you around." I said. She turned and waved goodbye while she walked off. I returned the gesture and waved back. As I watched her figure disappear in the sea of people, I couldn't help but think I'd seen her before. I wasn't sure why I had this vat of familiarity swirling in my head, but I concluded that it was my just my mind fucking with me.

I banished the mind games from my head and walked towards a random direction, hoping to find something interesting in this festival. I took a swig of my tea and lost myself within the festival and my own thoughts.

The school has been fairly enjoyable, despite getting unwanted attention and a couple people going out of their way to introduce themselves to me because I stuck out too much, it wasn't that bad. Had to make up for some missed works, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Still had some assignments to finish though.

Sobu High has some high school stereotypes hanging around, but really, what school doesn't? I was present long enough to witness a rather large, bespectacled person screaming a bunch of weird shit. From that sight alone, I concluded he was a chuuni. I can back it up with all the things he's been saying, it sounded like he was referencing a bunch of different animes or something from a manga. Not that I would know.

I doubt I'd bother with the chuuni, not like I'll ever get the chance to talk to the guy. But delusions aside, one person caught my interest. He seemed very different from the rest of the students in this school; he was an odd one out.

 _Hikigaya Hachiman_

Superficially, he looked like the kind of person who didn't bother socializing with anyone in the school. His slouched posture, his bored eyes, and his monotone voice didn't quite radiate a friendly aura. Quite the opposite. Despite his looks, it seemed like he was pressured into interacting with me. Perhaps his personality betrayed his looks? Those were only assumptions pieced by loose evidence. Of course, all this doesn't apply till I have more proof and is subject to chang—

"Hey, you!" A voice cried out, breaking me out of my thoughts. But it wasn't directed at me, rather at someone else. It looked like a scene was about play out somewhere close to my location.

Additionally, if I could describe some of my findings and experiences in this school of mine, it would only take about five words. These five words I had in mind hold some parallelism to my entire life as well. It best described what I saw, felt, and experienced in life.

 _A Series of Unfortunate Events_

"You're Miura Yumiko, aren't you?!" A girl shouted. From what I was looking at, there were two displeased high school girls interrogating another girl. The subject of interrogation was a teenage girl with blonde hair that was separated into two segments forming drills, her facial features could be described as attractive and her eyes were green in color.

It was that same girl that was acting bitchy the other day.

 _Five minutes haven't even passed, and now something else unfolds_

I couldn't take note of the details of the other two since their backs were facing me, but it's not like I had to anyway. The only detail I could pick up was their clothing, they wore the Sobu High uniform. I doubt I'd bother trying to remember them. Remembering was the least of my concerns right now, I had other things to worry about.

Like resolving the dilemma of intervening or not.

The Bystander effect: A psychological phenomenon in which a person is less likely to assist a victim when others are present.

This effect was sure as hell making its presence known at the moment. There weren't a lot of other people in the area, but those who noticed decided to turn a blind eye and pretend they saw nothing.

"The guys in our group have done nothing but talk about ever since they saw you!" One of the girls shouted.

"Stay away from them, you hear me?!" The other followed.

 _Really? You're fussing about that?_ Was this what they meant when parents and elders talked about youth?

"Hah?" Miura-san looked dumbfounded.

"What makes you think I'd care about them?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips. Despite giving such a bitchy comeback, she had a point. Neither of them claimed to have seen her interact with these guys and only stated that they _saw_ her.

 _Right. So, what do I do?_

There were two ways I could do: One, I could turn around and pretend I saw nothing; two, I could intervene and help this Miura person out. If I picked the first option, then I could relieve myself of this psychological effect that dumped itself on my shoulders, but then the guilt of walking away is gonna eat me alive.

On the other hand, if I picked the second option, then I could improve my standing with one person and possibly make a friend? As sappy as that sounds, it wasn't an unattractive outcome, but it would mean I'd have to scratch my ass for any bits of courage I dumped on the toilet this morning.

It's a disgusting-ass (hah…) analogy, but if it makes sense, then why the hell not, right?

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" One of the girls shrieked.

 _Oh, shit. What do I do?_

There were multiple ways I could deal with this. I could step in and stand on neutral ground, it will definitely keep me in the middle. But the girls interrogating her are a bit flawed in their logic…so, if I stay on neutral ground, wouldn't it be a bit unfair towards Miura-san?

If I defended Miura-san, it might help me out in the long run since she's my classmate. I don't really know the other two, so, it shouldn't matter to me that much. But then that would make it a bit unfair to them since Miura-san didn't even bother trying to apologize or at least act nice…

 _Fuck it, I know who I should call_

I pulled out my phone fumbled a bit before I finally got a good grip on it. After fidgeting with it for a good bit, I noticed one of the girls turn around and narrowed her eyes after setting her sights on me.

 _Oh, joy_

Third Person POV

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" The girl shrieked. Miura crossed her arms and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She was about to retort but stopped her next course of action after spotting a person in the background. The said person wore the Sobu High uniform, had short spiky black hair and wore a layer of bandages on his eyes.

 _Tagawa Taichi…was it?_ She thought. He was watching the two girls bitching at an unexpected and undesired outcome. Shortly after, the new student pulled out his phone and messed with it before pressing the screen into his ear—he was calling someone.

 _What are you doing? Go away_ She didn't want to get any more irritated than she already was and having someone staring from a small distance away surely wasn't helping her mood either.

One of the girls took notice of her staring and turned her gaze to match the direction Miura was facing. After spotting a high school boy in the background staring at the commotion, Girl A clicked her tongue in annoyance and nudged her friend.

"Tch, say somethi—" Girl B stopped midway after being nudged by her pal.

"Someone's watching us." Her companion turned around and saw the same high school boy holding the phone against the side of his head.

 **"Hey, you."** The girl snarled. Tagawa was a bit startled by her voice, which was made apparent when he jumped a bit from the sudden callout.

"Wait, he's got nothing to do with this!" Miura interjected. Her interjection stemmed from annoyance rather than concern. She wasn't expecting things to involve someone who didn't even know any of them, and she didn't really know him either.

"You didn't call for a teacher, did you?" She asked in a threatening tone as she slowly approached the high school boy.

"Are you even listening to me?!" Miura asked, growing frustrated at the situation.

"W-what? No, I didn't…" Tagawa replied, releasing the phone from the side of his head and throwing his hands up in the air.

"You sure about that?" The other asked, skeptical of his response. He was cornered at this point. Talking himself out wasn't an option seeing as the girls wouldn't let him leave.

"No, of course not!"

"Then who'd you call?"

"…I called the police." Tagawa replied, showing them his call history. The three women stared at him with a horrified and shocked expression littered all over their faces. The two girls had an expression that screamed "We done fucked up", and Miura was straight up flabbergasted at his decision to call the cops.

 _Did I do something wrong?_

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A/N:

I hate school

I took French, so don't take the Spanish part seriously

By the way, please don't hesitate leaving a review. Helps me with the direction of this story and a bunch of other stuff I don't know about. Like the character? Hate the character? I'll also be balancing scenes between main cast and OC, mainly because focusing the spotlight on the OC wouldn't be very appealing or interesting, and do point out if anyone is OOC

See you next chapter


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